Liquid manure is a valuable source of nutrients for agricultural crops. Other nutrient streams, typically liquid or liquid-solid dispersions, may include effluent from food processing plants, municipal bio-solids from sewage treatment plants, or commercially-available liquid fertilizers.
In the case of prior art implements and methods for applying such liquid-solid dispersions to tracts of land, a dragline system is typically used to provide the liquid-solid slurry to the implement for subsequent delivery to the soil. In this regard, a slurry in the form of a liquid-solid dispersion is pumped from a lagoon or storage tank to the field by a piping system, where it is delivered to an application implement via a flexible dragline. In the field the flexible dragline is coupled to the application implement, and the implement while coupled to the flexible dragline is pulled across the field by a tractor, typically in a serpentine fashion, and the dragline supplies the liquid-solid dispersion to the implement for delivery to the soil.
The implement may spread the slurry in a broadcast manner on the surface of the soil, or more preferably apply the slurry in along the cultivation path of the implement or rows of live crop. Alternatively the implement may blend or bury the slurry in furrows or mix it with the soil during aeration or tillage of the soil.
The tractor, which tows the application implement, due to flexibility of the dragline, can follow a serpentine path in the field to give uniform coverage of the land while being operatively connected to the flexible dragline.
Typically, with respect to prior art devices which are used in this manner and which have capability of being operatively coupled to a flexible dragline, a swing pipe (invariably a horizontal conduit extending rearwardly of the towed implement) is provided on the towed implement which assists when the tractor reverses direction at the end of a field being fertilized. One end of such swing pipe pivotally is connected to the implement; the other connects to the dragline, which is in turn operatively connected to the liquid-solid dispersion distribution system. The swing pipe, by being pivotable, better transmits the forces required to pull the dragline in a tensile manner to the dragline. The function of the swing pipe is further to conduct the slurry to the implement for delivery to the soil, and further to provide clearance with the structure of the implement when the tractor makes turns in the field during its following of a serpentine path in the field.
A number of soil tillage or soil aeration devices of the above type towed by a tractor are currently commercially available. Such devices, in addition to applying liquid-solid dispersions to the soil, may further till or aerated the soil at the same time as a liquid or liquid-solid dispersion, such as liquid fertilizer or liquid manure, is applied to the soil.
One such prior art apparatus is a soil tillage and liquid manure applicator 8 of the type shown in FIG. 1 hereto. Such apparatus 8 comprises a frame 13 and is adapted to be towed behind a tractor (not shown) by attachment of the 3-point hitch of the tractor to lug members 12 on apparatus 8. Gangs of tined rollers 14 are provided, each provided with protruding tines 16 to penetrate the soil when apparatus 8 is towed over the soil. Flexible supply hose 20 is adapted to be attached, at the rear of apparatus 8, to swing pipe 50 which is in turn coupled in fluid communication with a vertically-extending manifold 26 which is rotatable about vertical axis 30 to allow pivotable movement of swing pipe 50 in the direction shown by arrows “A”. A plurality of flexible supply tubes 36 extend from flanges 32 on vertical manifold 26 to various points along the frame 13 of apparatus 8 to allow the liquid manure to be directed to the soil at various points along the front of apparatus 8 in front of the gangs of tined rollers 14.
Disadvantageously, however, with apparatus 8 of the prior art, pivoting of vertical manifold 26 during pivotable movement of swing pipe 8 causes wear and friction in the many flexible supply tubes 36, resulting in necessary and frequent replacement thereof. As typically many individual supply tubes 36 are incorporated in such prior art apparatus 8 shown in FIG. 1 (only four are shown but frequently many more are employed) this is a serious and important drawback to the implementation and continued use of such prior art apparatus 8.
Another prior art soil aerating and manure applicator apparatus is the prior art apparatus 9 shown in FIG. 2 hereto.
As shown in FIG. 2, prior art apparatus 9 comprises a frame 13 which may be towed by a tractor (not shown) over the ground. A swing pipe 50, having fixed collar 56 thereon, is provided, for attachment to a flexible supply hose (not shown). Swing pipe 50 is corralled and rotatably positioned within frame members 15 of apparatus frame 13, and is thus pivotably rotatable in the direction of arrows “A” about vertical axis 30.
Swing pipe 50 is coupled to and in fluid communication with a flexible conduit member 54 at one end of conduit member 54. The opposite end of flexible conduit member 54 is in fluid communication with manifold 26, which serves to distribute the supply of liquid manure to various points along frame 13 via numerous supply tubes 36 extending therefrom. Such supply tubes 36 further extend in proximity to tines 16 on gangs of tined rollers 14, to allow liquid manure to be mixed in with soil during the passage of the gangs of tined rollers 14 over the soil.
Disadvantageously with the prior art apparatus 9 of FIG. 2, during pivoting of swing pipe 50 it is necessary that flexible conduit 54 twist to permit such pivotable movement of swing pipe 50. This has the undesirable effect that conduit 54 may sometimes kink, depending on the degree of twist and the pressure to which such flexible conduit is subject. In addition, twisting of conduit 54 results in wear to flexible conduit 54 necessitating its replacement from time to time.
Accordingly, a real need exists for an improved apparatus capable of applying liquid-solid dispersions to soil, having a horizontal supply conduit which pivots in at least the horizontal plane, and preferably also in the vertical plane, yet be durable and require little or more simplified maintenance.